on food
i love food. a lot. i’ve talked with my therapist, nutritionist, gynecologist, and several other “ists” about this love. the thing is, while a lot of overweight people have problems with emotional eating, or eating to hide themselves, the fact of the matter is that while i certainly experience these feelings to some extent (stress eating is an excellent example - i need to crunch things in my teeth when i’m super stressed), the fact of the matter is that for the most part, i just really, really, REALLY like food.
which is sort of a problem for weight loss.
i joined one of the nation’s best managed weight loss facilities in november, and the first phase of weight loss was to eat a very low caloric diet, chockerbock full of protein and fiber. while the results were great - i mean, really great. i lost like, 25 pounds in two months - the fact of the matter is that by the end of the second month i was ordering pizza because i craved it. not because i was sad, not because subconsciously wanted to gain weight to hide my body (cause trust me, it’s still hidden); i wanted pizza, because i effing LOVE pizza.
i mean, i am from new jersey.
(doesn’t this just look DELICIOUS?! god, best food in the world.)
and while i’ve dieted to great success in the past - not just this past fall/winter, but also summer-fall 2003 (south beach) and autumn 2007 (weight watchers) - the fact will ALWAYS REMAIN that i love pizza.
and i’ve decided that’s ok.
i am sure there are people in the world who really do just need to re-think the convenience of mcdonalds in light of what it’s doing to their arteries. and i know for a fact that since i started at my clinic in november my GENERAL eating habits have improved a ton (eg, i snack on carrots instead of doritos). but in the end, i want to be able to eat pizza. and ice cream. and drink champagne.
and damnit, i’m gonna.
which is why my weight loss is so focused on exercise. aside from the fact that i have too many friends who were afflicted by anorexia (and are now suffering the consequences in the variety of health problems they have) to make me think it’s a “good” idea to eliminate food (whether it’s specific foods, or ALL foods) - it’s just not gonna work for me. i’m NOT going to give up pizza forever. will i try to eliminate it from my diet pre-The Dress? yes. will i succeed? probably not. but that’s ok, because i am relying on my veggie snacks and my 2-a-days to get me where i need to be.
there’s a lot more to be said on this subject, which i will in the future, but i just wanted to put it out there that it’s OK to really like food. even if you’re trying to drop weight. if you love pizza, don’t eat it and throw it up - just make sure you only have it once every few weeks, and be sure to do some extra weights and cardio that morning at the gym. you’ll enjoy the taste more that way anyway, and you won’t have done any long term damage.
and it’s effing delish.
